Method of generating oxygen.



ANDRE BEL'IZER, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

METHOD OF GENERATING OXYGEN.

No Drawing.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 10, 1908.

Patented Aug. 30, 1910. Serial No. 410,070.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDRI J BELTZER, citizen of Republic of France,residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMethods of Generating Oxygen; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

The present invention relates to an improved method of generating oxygengas.

The object of the invention is to produce a method of generating oxygenby means of simple and portable apparatus without the employment ofexcessive temperatures, and by which the as may be generated at asubstantially uni orm rate, and of great purity. Oxygen so generated isespecially useful in oxyacetylene welding.

To this end the method consist-s in the method hereinafter described andparticularly defined in the claims.

An excellent method of carrying out the present invention is as follows:In the first place, a pulverulent mixture is produced which is stableand not dangerous for storage or transportation. This mixture consistsof 665% by weight of the commercial bleaching powder, and 33%;% byweight of slaked lime. This mixture will be placed in any suitableretort and heated to a temperature not exceeding 800 C. The mixturebegins to give off oxygen gas at a temperature of 120 C. The generationof the gas is slow and comparatively uniform, and it is quite devoid ofchlorin, which is particularly objectionable when the gas is used inwelding, as it is exceedingly offensive to the operator. It is alsoobjectionable for the reason that it attacks the vessels used to containit. The mixture is more stable than calcium carbid and less liable todeterioration, is absolutely innoxious even if wet, and it does notdeteriorate rapidly. .It is also cheap and easily obtained. The especialadaptability of this mixture to the use of generating oxygen gas used inwelding follows from the fact that it may be mixed by the chemist andshipped in bulk to the consumer, who need not concern himself about itsconstituents any more than the coal consumer does about the quality ofcoal which he burns in his furnace,

The bleaching powder used in making the mixture is ordinary commercialbleaching powder. The slaked lime should have a slight excess of waterin it. It is preferably made by adding to the burnt lime a little morethan the theoretical quantity of water. The mixture is then left untilit is thoroughly slaked. It is then sifted to remove nodules of anyunburnt limestone. This slaked lime should be in a dry and pulverulentstate, and it is preferred that it should contain 7% more water thanslaked lime dried to 100 cent-igrade.

It has long been known that if a concentrated solution of bleachingpowder is heated it gives ofi oxygen and the remaining mass is largelycalcium chlorid. This oxygen, however, contains considerable quantitiesof chlorin gas. The gist of the present invention consists in thediscovery that by mixing slaked lime with the bleaching powder, whilethe evolution of the oxygen is not impeded, the evolution of chlorin gasis to all intents and purposes entirely eliminated. The exact reason forthis is not precisely understood, but it is believed that the slakedlime is at tacked by the chlorin and produces calcium hypochlorite andcalcium chlorid and water. The hypochlorite under the action of heat isagain split up into calcium chlorid and oxygen. The formula for thisoperation is probably as follows:

The present invention is not limited to the specific processhereinbefore described but comprehends broadly the method of generatingoxygen defined in the claims.

In some of the claims the expression chlor-oxygen salt is employed todefine a hypochlorite, or chlorate, or perchlorate, and it will beunderstood that the claims mean the same thing as if those words weresubstituted for the unitary expression used therein, namely,chlor-oxygen salt.

The temperatures and exact proportions of ingredients are those whichexperience has found to be the best suited for the purpose, but it is tobe understood that while these temperatures and proportions are thosecalculated to give the best results, the invention is not specificallylimited thereto, as some considerable departure may be made from theexact proportions and temperatures without sacrificing the spirit of theinvention, which resides in the use of slaked lime to prevent thepresence of chlorin in the gas generated.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. The method ofgenerating oxygen which consists in heating a mixture of 66%% by weightof bleaching powder and 33%% by weight of slaked lime to a temperatureof approximately 300 C., substantially as described.

2. A composition of matter for use in generating oxygen consisting of amixture of not more than 66?;% by weight of chlorinoxygen compounds,capable of giving off oxygen when heated, and not less than 33%% byweight of an alkali-earth hydrate, substantially as described.

3. A composition of matter for use in generating oxygen consisting of amixture of 665 7 by weight of bleaching powder and 33-}% by weight ofslaked lime, substantially as described.

4. The method of generating oxygen which consists in heating a mixtureof not more than 66% by weight of chlorin-oxygen compounds, capable ofgiving off oxygen when heated, and not less than 33 1,70 by weight of analkali-earth hydrate, substantially as described.

5. The method of generating oxygen which consists in heating a mixtureof not more than 66% by weight of chlor-oxygen salt and not less than33{;% by weight of an alkali-earth hydrate, substantially as described.

6. The method of generating oxygen which consists in heating apulverulent mixture of not more than 66%70 by weight of bleaching powderand not less than 33-1 by weight of slaked lime, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ANDRE BELTZER.

Witnesses:

ROBERT D. SAMMIS, ROBERT C. SEELEY.

